Knitting machine needle



Sept. 6, 1938. N. vKAT/#L1A 2,129,327

KNITTING MACHINE NEEDLE Filed July 13, 1937 lllllllllllllll N n 1.o KATAJA ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE KNITTING MACHINE NEEDLE Niilo Kataja, Mount Vernon, N. Y.

Application July 13, 1937, Serial No. 153,393

4 Claims. (Cl. 66-120) This invention relates to improvements in'knitting instruments and more particularly to an improved type of knitting needle adaptable for use in conjunction with knitting machines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved type of knitting needle structure wherein improper catching of threads during the knitting operation will be at least largely avoided.

` It is another object of the present invention to provide a type of `knitting needle structure which is simple in operation and construction and ac ordingly is economical from the standpoint o manufacturing purposes. l5 The invention will be fully and comprehensively understood from a consideration of the foln lowing detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of the application.

In the drawing: k, Fig. 1 is a. vertical sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is substantially a top pian view of an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the line 3 3. I

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the line 4-4.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a needle prepared in ac- 90 cordance with the present invention mounted in a knitting machine with the needle in substantially retracted position.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 except that the needle is shown in an intermediate position.

Fig. 7 is another view similar to Fig. 5 showing the needle in fully extended position with guard member in place.

Fig. 8 is a substantially diagrammatic view of a portion of a machine wherein the needle according'to the present invention can be used;

and

Fig. 9 is a substantially diagrammatic top plan view of a portion of the machine of the type referred to in Fig. 8 showing certain of the needles in extended and retracted position.

In the drawing, III is al substantially quilllike sheath, formed of flexible but hard stock such as spring steel, which is fixedly positioned and integral with the channelled block general- 1y designated at Il. It is preferred to form the sheath III in substantially rectangular cross-section as shown but if desirable other forms such as circular or elliptical can be used. e The sheath terminates in an opening or throat generally designated at I2 and adjacent thereto Vis positioned a substantially pointed hook element generally designated as I3. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the exposed edges of the throat and hook element as well as a point of the needle are carefully ground to form 5 relatively smooth surfaces whereby accidental catching or tearing of delicate fabric during knitting operation is substantially minimized. The 'guard element I4 is movably positioned within the sheath Iland carries near the end thereof 10 a formation generally designated as I 4a. which is ground and adapted to lit over the hook element generally designated as I3 substantially as shown in Fig. 1 so that when objects are within the area generally designated at I5 and 15 the guard element is positioned in cooperative relationship with the hook element, the movement of said objects will be substantially restricted. The lever arm I5' which is freely pivoted on the shaft I6 journalled in the block generally designated at II is attached by means of the pivot I1 to the slidable guard element I4 s'ubstantially as shown in Fig. 1 so that when counterclockwise movement is imparted to the lever arm the guard member will be moved from its 25 cooperative relationship with the hook element and retracted into the body of the sheath thereby leaving the throat and hook element fully open. The other end of the lever arm I5' terminates in the cam rider element generally designated at I8 30 type of knitting machine illustrated for this pur- 0 pose, the channel blocks carrying a plurality of needles, two of which are shown and designated by the numeral 20, are mounted in slides in the block or plate generally designated at 2|, so that the needles can be placed in relatively retracted position, as for example 22 in Fig. 9, or in relatively extended position, as 29 in Fig. 9. 'I'he movement -of the needles is controlled by a cam plate 25 having a groove cut therein substantially in conformity with that shown in dotted lines in 50 Fig.` 9. This cam plate is movably positioned adjacent to the plate carrying the needles ,so that the cam riders I8 are positioned within the groove of the cam plate. In operation the cam Plate is moved relative to the plate carrying the needles thereby causing each of the needles, successively, to move out to extended position and certain other of the needles to move into retracted position, the needles in extended position having the guard member retracted within the sheath and the needles in retracted position havfing the guard member positioned in cooperative relationship with the hook element. For example, referring to the needle 22 in Figs. 5 and 9, the cam rider I8 is positioned within the cam groove as shown at B in Fig. 9 and when so positioned the needle is in fully retracted position. Under these conditions the pivoted lever arm has been moved to the maximum extent possible in a clockwise direction and the dogs on said lever arm are resting upon the surface of the channel mounting block, accordingly the guard member is extended into cooperative relationship with the hook element substantially as shown in Fig. 1. As the cam 25 is moved, the pivoted lever arm is moved in a counter-clockwise direction thereby retracting the guard element and opening the throat in the sheath so that, when the dogs on the upper surface of the pivot lever arm engage with the sides of the channel block thereby preventing further movement of the pivot arm in a counter-clockwise direction, the block is moved along its sliding base thereby causing the needle to move outward from its retracted position. An intermediate step in this movement is illustrated in Fig. 6. When the needle is in fully extended positionas illustrated in Fig. 7 the cam rider is located substantially at the point indicated by A in Fig. 9. Further movement of the cam reverses these operations and retracts the needle to the position shown and described in conjunction with Fig. 5.

A notable feature oi the invention is that it permits simultaneous movement of needle and guard member Without necessitating a plurality of cams to operate same thereby diminishing the cost of manufacturing the machine as well as the number of moving parts and corresponding likelihood of break-down due to wear.

Although the needle prepared according to the present invention has been shown and described in connection with one type of machine adapted to its utilization, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made to adapt it to other types oi' knitting machines and the like.

It is to be understood that this improvement is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not ailect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed Iin the appended claims.

What is claimed is new is:

1. A knitting instrument of the type described comprising a sheath, an open throat near one end of said sheath and a hook element disposed adjacent to said throat, a guard member movably positioned within said sheath and adapted to enter into cooperative relationship with said hook element, and means for imparting movement to said guard member relative to said sheath comprising a lever arm pivoted upon a mounting integral with said sheath, said arm being pivotally connected to said guard member.

2. A knitting instrument of the type described comprisihg a sheath, an open throat near one end of said sheath and a hook element disposed adjacent to said throat, and integral with said sheath, a guard member movably positioned within said sheath and having a formation near one end thereof adapted to cover-at least a part ofthe throat and enter into cooperative relationship with said hook element, and means for imparting movement to said guard member relative to said sheath comprising a lever arm pivoted upon a mounting integral with said sheath, said arm being pivotally connected to said guard member.

3. A knitting instrument of the type described comprising a sheath, an open throat near one end of said sheath and a hook element disposed adjacent to said throat and integral with said sheath, a guard member movably positioned within said sheath and having a formation near one end thereof adapted to cover at least a part of the throat and enter into cooperative relationship with said hook element whereby the movement of objects positioned within localities of said hook and throat is materially restricted, and means for imparting movement of said guard member relative to said sheath comprising a lever arm pivoted upon a mounting integral with said sheath, said arm being pivotally connected to said guard member.

4. A knitting instrument of the type described comprisinga sheath, an open throat near one end of said sheath and a hook element disposed ,adjacent to said throat and integral with said sheath, -a guard member movably positioned within said sheath and having a formation near one end thereof adapted to cover` at least a part of the throat and enter into cooperative relationship with said hook element whereby the movement of objects positioned within localities of said hook and throat is materially restricted, and means for imparting movement to said guard member relative to said sheath comprising a cam actuated lever arm pivoted upon a mounting integral with said sheath, said arm being pivotally connected to said guard member whereby reciprocal movement can be imparted thereto by manipulation of said lever ar f NULO KATAJA.

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